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Accents

What do our accents reveal about who we are? Jo Fidgen explores why English sounds different across the globe and traces the American accent back to the Elizabethans.

On this week鈥檚 Why Factor Jo Fidgen meets an Englishwoman who suffers from a rare condition known as Foreign Accent Syndrome which causes her to speak with a French-sounding accent. What can her situation teach us about accents and why they matter? Jo explores why English sounds different across the globe and takes an accent lesson from a Canadian drama teacher. And did you know some animals have accents too?

Produced by Laura Gray

(Photo: A woman's mouth smiling. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

18 minutes

Last on

Mon 23 Jun 2014 15:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 20 Jun 2014 18:32GMT
  • Sat 21 Jun 2014 13:32GMT
  • Sat 21 Jun 2014 22:32GMT
  • Mon 23 Jun 2014 01:32GMT
  • Mon 23 Jun 2014 08:32GMT
  • Mon 23 Jun 2014 15:32GMT

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